How can we trust a health secretary who trashes commitments on our data, asks our tech and data lead Duncan McCann

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has launched an urgent internal investigation after concerns that the medical records of three-year-old Noah Woods were accessed inappropriately. The trust has apologised unreservedly to Noah's family, saying the breach caused additional distress at an already devastating time. Dr Martin Mansfield, the trust's deputy chief medical officer, said that any unauthorised access to patient information was completely unacceptable and could undermine public confidence in NHS services. The trust said it acted as soon as it became aware of concerns that Noah's records may have been viewed without a legitimate clinical reason. It said immediate measures were taken to secure the records and prevent further unauthorised access. The matter has also been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office. The trust said Noah's family would be kept informed as the investigation progresses and that disciplinary action would be considered where appropriate, in accordance with its policies and procedures. Sky News Noah, who was three, died after going missing from a play area in Brantham, Suffolk, on 15 September. An inquest heard that he left the under-fives play area through a gap in a fence and became separated from the relative accompanying him. Around 1,300 members of the public joined a major search operation before Metropolitan Police divers recovered his body from nearby Decoy Pond the following afternoon. The inquest was opened and then adjourned to a date yet to be fixed. Sky News +1 The data-breach investigation comes amid wider NHS action over inappropriate access to patients' records. NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey has said staff suspected of improperly accessing medical information should have their system access removed and be suspended while investigations take place. Sky News

A coroner has expressed concern over Welsh community pharmacists’ “limited” access to patient records, following the death of a patient whose pharmacists were unaware of her medication history.…

A new AI could help the NHS predict the diseases you will get later in life, but should it be seeing millions of people's medical histories?

The company, which distributes medicines and medical devices to hospitals and healthcare practices across the U.S., said it was hacked and expects intermittent service degradation.

Yle reported that patient records were found last year at the former Ylinen rehabilitation centre in Ylöjärvi, even though the Pirkanmaa wellbeing services county had said it destroyed the remaining documents in 2021. The new owner of the property, entrepreneur Suvi Rajala, said the papers includ…

Thousands of social and healthcare workers are caught viewing their own patient records each year, Yle reports. Accessing personal information through a patient information system is illegal because an employee cannot have a care relationship with themselves. Joni Komulainen, a senior government …

Patient records from 166 clients and patients in the Ostrobothnia welfare region were improperly discarded in a regular waste container during a relocation at Pietarsaari’s Malmi hospital area in early July, the welfare region confirmed to Yle. A data protection investigation revealed the records…

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Plans to introduce a single patient record across the NHS in England will be discussed in Parliament for the first time on Monday. The system aims to integrate GP, hospital, and social care data, allowing patients to avoid repeatedly giving their medical history. Emergency departments will be able to access complete patient records, including medications and allergies, which could help prevent misdiagnoses and reduce unnecessary A&E visits by an estimated 20,000 patients annually. Paramedics and carers will also benefit from real-time access to patients' treatment information. The record will be accessible via the NHS App, with rollout expected from 2027. While some regions already have limited data sharing, this initiative seeks consistency nationwide. Doctors have cited cases where lack of record access caused delays or cancellations of critical procedures. Pregnant women currently must recall their full medical history at first appointments due to inaccessible records. GPs may save time by retrieving information more efficiently. Health Secretary James Murray emphasised the importance of joining up services, citing his own positive experience with NHS care. However, the British Medical Association has expressed concerns over data security and patient confidentiality, stressing the need for clear GP oversight. The proposal is part of the NHS Modernisation Bill, which also includes the abolition of NHS England and Healthwatch to streamline bureaucracy and redirect resources to frontline services.

Healthwatch England have heard from patients about frequent errors in individual medical records

Our analysis of 735 HHS OCR breach reports reveals a staggering 301 million patient records compromised. Here's what the data tells us about who's being hit, ho...

Massive data breach at Cencora threatens healthcare supply chain and patient privacy. Investigation underway, potential consequences severe.

A 24-year-old Finnish woman, Ronja Pöyhönen, was initially misdiagnosed with reactive psychosis after seeking medical help for fatigue and depression, Yle reports. The error delayed proper treatment for months. In early 2024, Pöyhönen, then studying medicine in Riga, returned to Finland at her pa…

The pilot will see GP practices look at patient records to identify those most at risk

The NHS has started a pilot project that will sift through patient records to try to detect people at risk of pancreatic cancer.